Text messaging technologies, such as the widely used Short Message Service (SMS), enable exchange of brief text messages between communication devices. For example, smartphones generally have the capability to exchange SMS messages with another mobile telephone, a portable device, or a fixed system. Text messaging is widely used for both private and commercial purposes. For instance, text messaging is used to deliver digital content, such as notifications, requests, news alerts, financial information, etc.
In commercial settings, text messaging is often used by a sending system to send text messages to multiple smartphones or other types of portable devices. Additionally, the text messages often have different content and need to be responded to with reply text messages. For example, a real estate showing appointment scheduling system sends, to real estate property listing agents or real estate property owners, text messages requesting confirmation of showing appointment requests. The showing appointments generally differ in real estate property, showing appointment time, and/or showing appointment requestor. A recipient of a text message pertaining to a showing appointment request (also referred to herein as a showing appointment request text message or a request text message) responds to the request contained within the text message by sending a reply text message to the real estate showing appointment scheduling system.
A reply text message from a smartphone usually indicates two text messaging numbers (e.g., telephone numbers)—one for the replier and one for the sender of the request text message (i.e., the text message for which the reply text message is intended). However, the reply text message from the smartphone does not include the content of the request text message. In the absence of such content, the sending system of the request test message cannot uniquely match the reply text message to the request text message, and thereby cannot automatically confirm showing appointment requests, where the sending system sends out multiple text messages using the same text messaging number.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method for providing text messaging confirmation such that reply text messages are matched to request text messages.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. Moreover, the content of certain messages (e.g., text messages, e-mails, telephone calls, etc.) may be expressed in particular words and/or phrases while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to expression is not actually required.
Apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.